Alright, I finally started this thing up, so here we go with the details.

Sex:Male
Age: 22
Weight: 184 lbs.
Height: 5'10"
BF%: Estimated 10-12% (a guess, but I have measured lower than that before , so I am shooting high just in case)
Goals:Functional Conditioning and Strength

The primary focus of this log is to document the benefits to my training from using MST Ragnarok, caffeine free, warrior melon flavor. I took my first dose yesterday (a rest day, but it was a "test" dose). I used 10 oz. water and mixed it with one scoop in an ABB shaker cup (no fins, but it is big). First thoughts upon ingestion: Mmmmmm! This stuff tastes real good, no lies. It also mixes extremely well, though I will use more water in the future to try to get the little floaties that I did have remaining (not many).

It should be noted that I also take these supplements:
-RPM stim-free beta (courtesy of rms80, thanks bro!)
-ABB protein RTDs
-3 different greens supplements
-Psyllium Husk
-Acai Berry
-Caffeine (on occasion)

Nothing else is being stacked right now to keep this log accurate for MST. I appreciate the free stuff and am trying to return the favor with accurate info. I will also comment briefly on the RPM from time to time, but we all know what this stuff does, and stim free only seems better, let me tell you! My doubts about that product and its caffeine content are resolved.

Here comes the tricky part. I am turning over a brand new leaf in my training. I am combining bodyweight training days with compound heavy lifting days. It is an experiment, but one that I think will yield some good results. I will post my exact workouts later, but the split looks like this:

Simple, and its frequency will make sense when you see the workouts. The program is based off of recent info from Brooks Kubik and Pavel Tsatsouline that I have come across. I am looking for functionality and not useless sarcoplasm or mitochondria. Again, size is NOT the goal here.

Will post more after my first workout tonight. Any comments are welcome.

NOTE: This is intended to be a 40 day log, as that is the amount of product I received to take the stuff once daily (Ragnarok, I mean).

ill double that on the flavour, tried the sample pack, and damn the melon flavour was amazing.
so amazing in fact i ordered a full bottle of the razberry flavour.if they can do melon this good, id bet the rasberry will be astonishing :-)

Alright, I'm catching up today. I did not get around to posting again last night after my workout for various insignificant reasons (READ: vagina). There will be TWO posts today to catch up. Without further ado, here was what I did for my first bodyweight workout based on some of the dinosaur bodyweight training system recommendations:

+6.18.07+
(1:30 rest between all sets and supersets)

Push ups (with handles for greater range of motion)- 20, 20, 10, 12, 10, 12, 12, 11=107 NEXT W/O goal: 120
NOTE: I can do more than 20 push ups per set, but I was trying to pace myself. The results will be better next workout, I believe.

SUPERSETTED WITH:

Pull ups-10, 7, 6, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5= 48 NEXT W/O goal: 55

Back Extensions-15, 10, 7, 6, 4=42 NEXT W/O goal: 50

SUPERSETTED WITH:

Knee bends (aka freehand squats)- 30, 20, 20, 20, 20= 110
NEXT W/O goal: 130
NOTE: Again, I was pacing myself with these. I think I may do better than 130 next time around. I usually try to avoid failure if I can to prevent CNS damage and negative "feedback".

Wrestler's Bridge- 39 sec. hold NEXT W/O: 1 minute

Front Bridge- 25 sec. hold NEXT W/O: 35 sec.

Leg Raise on bench- 15, 11, 11, 11, 10=58 NEXT W/O: 65

Standard Plank:1 min. NEXT W/O: 1:15

Gorilla Hold: 50 sec. (WUSS!!) NEXT W/O: 1:00

Newspaper Crush: 6 pages per hand NEXT W/O: 8 pages

CONCLUSION: My muscular endurance, is, well, feminine...
I mean, for a guy who can bench press an estimated 250+, I should be able to do more than this. I even had the assistance of the Ragnarok, which pumped my muscles sickeningly full of blood, I must say. I know its the reps as well, but so far I like this stuff. I will wait to see how well I increase in my repetitions. Keep in mind that I am not going too high in reps before I switch to more difficult exercises. I WON'T be doing endless standard push ups! Once I can fit about 200-250 into those eight sets every workout, I'm moving to the one legged version, elevated, gorilla, and so on.

For now, I'm just girly...:chick:

Onto the weights in my next post, which will be deviously simple, but eventually very heavy...

This is day 3 of my Ragnarok Warrior Melon caffeine free use. Too many words in that name. Anyway, I used it today 1 hour pre workout as usual with 12 oz. of water with no other supplements. As usual, very pleasant taste and texture.

Today's workout will draw some criticism from you. It is only two compound lifts, and I am starting at 3 sets each. That's it, twice a week. Sound too brief? We'll see, I am taking the word of Pavel Tsatsouline, from his work "Power to the People!". I haven't used it before, so it is new to me as well. You slowly acclimate your CNS to lifting more weight each time. Muscular size is not the goal, just utilizing what you have for more strength. You do it in cycles, starting low, building up slowly, hit a wall, then back off a little and start again a little higher. Kind of like periodization, just a little simpler. I have modified the system only slightly, adding one more set than he recommends for my particular goal. He also recommends more frequency, but I am trying to see if it will work in conjunction with my bodyweight training. Best of both worlds is the idea here. We'll see.

I think this is a great program. I used a program very similar in my powerlifting days with excellent results. I think you've made a great choice and your bodyweight training won't interfere with it either. Great job!

As you can see, everything improved. Let's see if it keeps up, and how much.

6/22/07

Rested today because of poor planning. My band practices on Fridays, which takes up all of my time after work unless I get off early. I worked to the bell today, and there wasn't any way I was getting in the gym this morning. I will work out for the next three days before taking another rest.

ill double that on the flavour, tried the sample pack, and damn the melon flavour was amazing.
so amazing in fact i ordered a full bottle of the razberry flavour.if they can do melon this good, id bet the rasberry will be astonishing :-)

These workouts are still pretty light, so I don't have much comment on them. One thing I will say that I have learned in the past few weeks is that deadlifts start in your toes, not in your legs. Ditto for side or bent press. I have only recently learned this, and I think the potential strength benefits from this knowledge are very promising.

I felt: Pretty sweet, I must say. A very good synergy between all of the ingredients above. I would fear to use that much stuff on my bodyweight days because of possible dehydration (I get that from a lot of supplements if I don't CHUG many liters of water). I drink about a gallon of water a day, which I do not think at this point is sufficient, though I only weigh 185. I never get cramps, but I hate thirst, and supplements just make me thirsty as hell.

Tonight I have a metal show to play. I will drink rum and beer, though I will try to moderate what I take in. I will try to avoid extreme drunkeness for the sake of my bodyweight training tomorrow.

Result: Keep in mind, RPM is not supposed to really affect your pump, so I have to assume my pumps today were the result of the Rag. Frankly, it was just SICK. Veins everywhere, my muscles were swollen with massive amounts of blood. CRAZY pump from this stuff. The rag is kicking in very nice! My focus, as can be expected from such a stack, was just out of this world. I got a lot done today. Check out the workout:

As you see the only thing that went down was the last one, which I don't consider extremely vital to this program. I did so much work before it, I just wanted to eat and not stand there violently crumpling paper. I gave in, I guess. Still, that gorilla hold hurts man! I was only shy of my pull up goal by a few, but that is a hard exercise for me. It still went up considerably. I will get there!

I am very pleased with my progress so far. I might actually be decently good at these exercises someday soon if I keep it up.

Listen to the tracks "Universal, Diabolical" and "Ever Reign", they are years more recent than the others.

We are a death metal band, which means about 5% of the human population of earth has the potential to like us. I started doing this nonsense when I was 16 and haven't found a way to stop yet

I also do another band that is completely different with the same guys, but we haven't released anything yet. I will understand if you guys don't like stuff as heavy as Beyond Fatal, it is pretty gruesome for even me to listen to sometimes. I am the vocalist, by the way, so I am the part that makes it so bad!

Anywho, I am not a big death metal fan, but you guys have a solid sound and I could see you guys with a major label like Metal Blade

I appreciate the compliment, though over the years death metal has lost its charm for me. I do it mostly now because it would disappoint my friends and what fans we have if I didn't. I see the damage I am doing to my voice, though, and I think that if I ever want to sing clean again I am going to have to stop in the next few years. Just this weekend I was spitting blood! I would quit, but I have been doing it for so long, and every time I try I get the same god d*mn guilt trip.

I do enjoy it sometimes, when the live shows get real intense. Those moments are not as frequent as I would like. We are a very dynamic band live, but in a rural area it is difficult to find a large fan base.

I'm thinking I will finish my weight training days with some jump roping from now on. I need better cardio, and I feel the rope will help me explode from the toes up, which is working very well for me I might add. This simple point has made my dead lifting form so much better. I can't even believe it.

Anyway, bodyweight tomorrow, and I admit that I am modifying it a little. It will essentially be the same, but I am adding a movement and slightly altering another to be harder. Should be fun!

I really like doing a solid 15-20 minutes of jump rope every now and then. 3 minutes of normal followed immediately by a few minutes of one leg jump ropes really explodes your calves. I feel like doing some jump ropes now, actually! Now where's that damn rope!